The future of AMSAT launches???
This seems so smart that I don't know why they haven't done this already.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/06/darpa-alasa-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classi...
Jacob Tennant WF8S
This has existed for a long time. There's not much new.
The rocket equation tells you that you need lots of fuel to send mass to orbit. That is referred to as delta V, change in velocity. LEO is about 17,500 mph, this jet gets to maybe 1,000 mph?
Most rockets are not big because they can be, they are big because they have to be.
This project isn't actually getting to orbit yet. Is it actually 1 million in cost to get there or is that before profit? Then you're talking more like 3-4 million at minimum.
Bryce
On Friday, February 6, 2015, Jacob Tennant [email protected] wrote:
This seems so smart that I don't know why they haven't done this already.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/06/darpa-alasa-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classi...
Jacob Tennant WF8S _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected] javascript:;. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
For $1 million that's a small rocket. The only benefit to airplane launched rocket is any orbit anytime, very nice in the spy world too :)
Also, likely not much of a secondary payload so you're likely buys all of the rocket unlike jumping on as cheap ballast to a big rocket.
Just give the free Kerbal space program game a spin and you'll realize how easy it is to get 400km high but very very hard and lots of fuel to get to orbit... Which is the point of satellites!
Interesting article though!
On Friday, February 6, 2015, Bryce Salmi [email protected] wrote:
This has existed for a long time. There's not much new.
The rocket equation tells you that you need lots of fuel to send mass to orbit. That is referred to as delta V, change in velocity. LEO is about 17,500 mph, this jet gets to maybe 1,000 mph?
Most rockets are not big because they can be, they are big because they have to be.
This project isn't actually getting to orbit yet. Is it actually 1 million in cost to get there or is that before profit? Then you're talking more like 3-4 million at minimum.
Bryce
On Friday, February 6, 2015, Jacob Tennant <[email protected] javascript:;> wrote:
This seems so smart that I don't know why they haven't done this already.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/06/darpa-alasa-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classi...
Jacob Tennant WF8S _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected] javascript:; javascript:;. AMSAT-NA
makes this open
forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions
expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected] javascript:;. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
More info:
This ALASA concept/project: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_Launch_Assist_Space_Access
Pegasus (An already flying air launch orbital rocket) which cost $11 million per launch.. in 1994: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(rocket)
Video of a launch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFUPkYre06E
Bryce KB1LQC
On Fri, Feb 6, 2015 at 6:37 PM, Jacob Tennant [email protected] wrote:
This seems so smart that I don't know why they haven't done this already.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/06/darpa-alasa-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classi...
Jacob Tennant WF8S _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
On 02/06/2015 10:56 PM, Bryce Salmi wrote:
This has existed for a long time. There's not much new.
The idea of using an F-15 as a launch platform has been around for decades. The Starwars program planned to use this technique to shoot down enemy satellites in wartime. And that was back when Reagan was in the Whitehouse.
On 2/7/15, Gus [email protected] wrote:
On 02/06/2015 10:56 PM, Bryce Salmi wrote:
This has existed for a long time. There's not much new.
The idea of using an F-15 as a launch platform has been around for decades. The Starwars program planned to use this technique to shoot down enemy satellites in wartime. And that was back when Reagan was in the Whitehouse.
<snip>
The feasibility of this was demonstrated in a test conducted nearly 30 years ago. An F-15 launched a small rocket and it destroyed a defunct satellite.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
participants (5)
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Jacob Tennant